House Of The Dragon's Matthew Needham Defends Larys' Originality
A "Game of Thrones" prequel wouldn't be complete without somebody sneakily manipulating others (and causing the demise of a loved one or two) for advancement. In HBO's "House of the Dragon," Larys Strong (Matthew Needham) can be considered one of the most deceptive individuals to grace the lands of Westeros.
When audiences first meet Larys, son of Harrenhal's Lord Lyonel Strong (Gavin Spokes), he doesn't seem like a massive threat. He walks with a cane due to a clubfoot and sits with the ladies of the court while the men go out hunting. However, he quickly begins to show similar personality traits to Littlefinger (Aidan Gillen) and Lord Varys (Conleth Hill), who quietly use information to shake things up on "Game of Thrones." Larys knows things he has no business knowing, like how the Grand Maester brings Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen (Milly Alcock) moon tea after her maidenhood is called into question. Like Littlefinger and Varys, he uses such knowledge to his advantage and tells Queen Alicent Hightower (Emily Carey), causing further division between the estranged friends.
Also similar to Littlefinger, who essentially causes the War of the Five Kings, Larys will do basically anything for power. This includes sending prisoners to burn Lyonel and Ser Harwin Strong (Ryan Corr), his older brother and the true father of Rhaenyra's children, to death. This not only makes him Lord of Harrenhal (another parallel to Littlefinger) but allows Alicent's father, Otto Hightower (Rhys Ifans), to be reinstalled as Hand of the King.
There may be many dark similarities between Larys, Varys, and Littlefinger, but Needham says his character is unique from them.
Matthew Needham said Larys is on his own path
In an interview with EW, Matthew Needham admitted that Larys, Varys, and Littlefinger all "share a sort of murky underworld of the mind" and will cause chaos to climb the ladder. Despite these commonalities, he wants fans to see Larys as a separate entity.
"Those are wonderful actors and performances, but I didn't go and study them. I just felt like it's its own beast," said Needham. He added, "I don't think I would be doing anyone a favor by trying to replicate someone else's performance ... I don't think either of those guys burnt their family alive. I'm sure they did other horrible things, but he's his own strange guy, I think. He's on his own path."
It's very true that Littlefinger and Varys don't do such a thing. Nor do either of them boast Larys' unexpected foot fetish. There's much more to unpack regarding this character, though audiences will have to wait until at least 2024, according to Casey Bloys, chairman and CEO of HBO and HBO Max content (via Vulture).
In the meantime, many — including "Game of Thrones" star Kit Harington, who portrays Jon Snow — are trying to figure out Larys' end game. Some, like u/KJ_is_a_doomer, have drawn a parallel to Bran Stark (Isaac Hempstead Wright), who gained visual powers after losing mobility in both legs. Could Larys, who struggles with one foot, have some sort of power as well? This would definitely set him apart from Littlefinger and Varys. Harington told Wiki of Thrones, "I really like that this character who is notoriously hard to pin down is either like this supernatural being or just a perverted creep. And I think it's somewhere in between."